ARF Will Actively Fight Protocols, Says Markarian

Yerevan (Yerkir)—Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau chairman Hrant Markarian said in a press briefing Tuesday that his party will actively fight the protocols on establishing and developing relations between Armenia and Turkey announced last week.

With the draft protocols, Markarian said “we are actually giving up the right for our future generations to fight for their rights; we are calling into question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide—a matter of national security for Armenia and a matter of dignity and justice for our nation.”

The ARF leader went on to criticize the provisions of the protocol, which mandate the recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity, explaining that the protocols do not contain any provisions that address peoples’ right to self-determination. He also pointed out that the territorial integrity provision is indirectly tied to the Karabakh conflict resolution and that is what Turkey and Azerbaijan are arguing as a final resolution.

If the protocols cannot be amended and “we are supposed to either say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” then the Armenian people—regardless of where they reside—should say an unequivocal “no” to the documents, he added.

Markarian also remarked on a call by the Heritage Party to hold a referendum on the protocols, saying that the poor track record of previous elections and referendums in Armenia would be reason enough to oppose such a call. [Eds.: Furthermore, this being a national issue, a referendum would exclude the voice of the Diaspora.]

The ARF Bureau chairman said his party has developed a package of amendments to the protocols, which will be publicized in the coming days. The party will also promote a concise mechanism to fight the documents.

Markarian said that if the authorities ignore the public outrage over the protocols, they would effectively be “committing suicide.”

While not ruling out calls for the president’s resignation, Markarian explained that “The president, after all, is working with a professional team. The foreign minister is the key advisor in foreign policies. By demanding the foreign minister’s resignation, we are expressing our position. Demanding the resignation of the president should not be ruled out, we may get to that point some day,” he added.

Markarian called for national cooperation and unity in confronting this matter of grave importance to the Armenian nation and said his party was willing to work with any force that intends to fight for Armenia’s national interests.

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Besides their obviously worst aspects – for example, giving up all land claims – the protocols are filled with many irrelevant clauses, such as the one renouncing violence, organized crime, drug trafficing and terrorism. Virtually all countries are already bound by to fight these things by existing international agreement. Why are these clauses in there?

The other aspect of the protocols is that they are a set of preconditions that the Armenian government said it insisted not be present. Just for future reference, the Armenian Assembly of America claims that the protocols do not contain any preconditions. The Assembly can read English. There is no lack of understanding on their part of the protocols. What it demonstrates is that the top levels of the Armenian Assembly is dishonest and is lying through their teeth but simply do not care what their grassroots members think of them.

The Armenian community in Armenia, Karabakh, and the Diaspora is duefully concerned that the agreement protocol between Turkey and Armenia does not represent Armenia’s national interests and harms Karabakh’s vitality and future. The best manner to redirect the course of these negotiations at this time would be to make notable amends to our foreign policy. Therefore, we as Armenians propose to replace our Minister of Foreign Affairs with a skillful politician who is well versed with international politics and dialogue. Many competent Armenians would be solid candidates such as Mr. Harout Sassounian, Mr. Aram Hamparian, Kenneth Hachikian and the others. They could provide useful consultation in external affairs and safeguard Armenia’s rights and Karabakh’s independence.

When the young turks came to power they promesed equality, respect of minorities, etc. Some Armenian intelectuals went to be representatives in turk congress with a good salary. Thus, some Armenians insisted on General Antranik to also be a representative at turkish congress representing the district of Shabin Karahisar his native area with a respectable salary and easy life. The General being inteligent, responsible, having moral principles and foreseeing the future responded with a strong NO. He added to them that the turks will kill them all pointing them out the treacherous the turks are. So the General went to Bulgaria and make a living by working as an artisan. We know what happened. They end up being the first victims of Genocide. Not the General who preserved his integrity and our admiration for not being an easy victim. So it goes the same for the Actual President of Armenia. He want to sign a ridiculously agreement favorable entirely to turks. There is no doubt that he is about to receive sweeth turkish dollars. What he doesn’t know is that turks will spend more money to destroy him and his family after the affaire is completed. At that time the damage to us the Armenian people who led a life defending Armenian principles, fighting for Genocide recognition, not giving up our rights of Kars, Ardahan, etc, will be gone by one stroke of a pen. It is hard to believe that a president be so inocent in sitting to negotiate with satan thinking will get a millioner’s high life with turkish money.After all he is not aware what turks are and believes that once he get the money will reach happiness. The only thing he will get is discredit from all Armenians and endure misfortune programmed by turks so he wont be able to enjoy a single penny. Some people are born garbage and sometimes a HERO like Antranik is born.

What I don´t understand is how the Armenian society could elect such a man with no respect for his own soul???????????????

Ter Petrosian is no good…. Sargysyan is making a deal with satan… The former president was “corrupted” says some, or alot of people….

Where are the real ARMENIAN leaders? Are there any???

Come on now. Someone in Armenia must be thinking of its history, land, family values, religion etc etc.
Are people chocked after they voted for these guys?
So why dont You vote for a woman with “motherly” instincts then. Maybe that is what Armenia needs.
A mother that never gives up her own family and children!

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As a reader who had the chance to read the manuscript before publication, I thank Paul Chaderjian for letting me into the world of “Adam Terzian,” a world in which the past, the present, and the future co-exist in conflict

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As a reader who had the chance to read the manuscript before publication, I thank Paul Chaderjian for letting me into the world of “Adam Terzian,” a world in which the past, the present, and the future co-exist in conflict